In the Series Premiere of The Pitch, Waste Management has to chose between SK+G (“Turning Waste Into Wow”) and The Ad Store (“Trash Can”). Did they make the right choice? Now it’s your turn to decide: Which presentation did you prefer?

AMC’s new series The Pitch takes viewers behind the scenes of America’s most creative ad agencies as they develop strategic campaigns for career-changing clients. But how do you craft an ad campaign for a show about crafting ad campaigns? According to AMC’s EVP of Marketing Linda Schupack, you need to come up with artwork that conveys “a sense of real-life competition, high-stakes and personal drama.” Getting there isn’t easy! What follows are some of the campaigns pitched by Empire Design which led to AMC’s truly distinctive key art for The Pitch.

Throughout the season, AMC viewers of The Pitch are invited to discuss the latest episode LIVE with friends and fellow fans. Want to join the conversation for the premiere? Log onto the Talk forum then start chatting in the comments section.

After the sneak preview of AMC’s The Pitch, McKinney’s EVP and Group Creative Director Liz Paradise talks to AMCtv.com about how the cameras influenced her agency’s creative process and what her kids felt about being on TV. (The Pitch officially premieres on Mon., Apr. 30 at 9/8c on AMC.)

Q: What made you decide to appear on The Pitch?

A: We talked about it a lot at the agency and I think if you love what you do and you believe in what you do, it’s okay putting yourself out there. We ask our clients to take risks every day and be bold. Because those are the things that leave impressions on people.

Q: How do you think the team’s creative process was affected by the cameras?

A: It’s funny. In the first 24 hours on camera…we were all like a deer in headlights. By day two, I think we were shoving each other out of the way to get camera time [laughs]. Then we just got really comfortable being ourselves. I think I may have dropped a few too many f-bombs.

Q: Was it scary bringing in an unknown — the rapper Mac Lethal — for your nationally televised pitch?

You probably know plenty about Subway, the restaurant franchise featured in the Sneak Preview of AMC’s The Pitch. But how much do you know about Waste Management, the client featured in the official premiere (airing Mon., Apr. 30 at 9/8c)? One interesting way to find out more about WM is through a Twitter contest the company is sponsoring now through Wed., May 3 at midnight/11c. (Daily winners get a Recycling Kit valued between $20 and $60.) Entering is easy!

How to Play1. Follow @WasteManagement on Twitter
2. Check out the fill-in-the-blank trivia fact of the day (Example: Our renewable energy projects create enough energy to power more than __ homes)
3. Tweet the answer with the hashtag #ThePitchWM
4. You’re now automatically entered to win a recycling kit

The contest is open to legal residents of the United States and Canada (excluding Quebec). Contestants must have reached the age of majority in their respective state/province of residence and be the registered Twitter users.

In the sneak preview of AMC’s The Pitch, WDCW Chairman / Executive Creative Director Tracy Wong brought some flash to his agency’s Subway campaign, right down to his yellow shoes. In this interview with AMCtv.com, Wong talks about his favorite moment from the episode and some campaigns that ended on the cutting room floor. (The Pitch officially premieres on Mon., Apr. 30 at 9/8c on AMC.)

Q: Did being on the show have an impact on the way the WDCW team works?

A: I think it was a reaffirmation that our process is pretty good. Everyone gets along really well and handles pressure really well. This was a lot of pressure — being on camera. The whole creative process was condensed to a quarter of the time. I said to the team, “Relax, have fun, let’s talk to each other… and “THIS IS GOING TO BE ON AMC! That’s freaking great!”

Q: What was your favorite moment from the episode?

A: It was the ancillary stuff. I enjoyed the scenes outside of the agency. Like Liz [of McKinney] having to fend on her own while her husband was out of town. Those are the things that add dimensionality. We’re people. We’ve got stuff going on. It’s not just everybody at the agency, like “Ahhhh! What are we going to do?”

This week, Zap2it praises The Pitch, and execs from McKinney, WDCW and Subway talk about their experiences with the show. Plus, McKinney is spotlighted by the local papers of hometown Durham, NC. Read on for more: